Elevator for cash and parcel carriers



(No Model.)

A. T.'ATHERTO1 T.

ELEVATOR FOR CASH AND PARGEL' UARRIERS.

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UniTnn fiTaTns PATENT @rrrcn.

ABEL T. ATHERTON, OF LO\VELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELEVATOR FOR CASH AND PARCEL CARRl ERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,65 1, dated May 13,188t.

Application filed July 23, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, ABEL '1. ATHERTON, of Lowell, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators for Cash and Parcel Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to the device, termed elevator, employed to raise and deliver onto the track the cash or parcel carrier,

and is applicable more particularly to the elevator used at the central or distributing station.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, cash or parcel carrier elevators have been lifted or raised by hand. It is my object to furnish a convenient arrangement by which the ele vator can be operated by powersuch as air, steam, or water. To this end I combine with the elevator a piston, by whose movements the elevator is actuated, and a cylinder, into which the motor-fluid is admitted for the purpose of moving the piston in the direction requisite to raise the elevator, the admission of the motor-fluid being controlled by a valve or cook to be operated by hand. In order to make provision for the descent of the elevator, I combine with it means whereby when it reaches the upper terminus of its course an exhaust is automatically opened to permit the escape of the confined air, water, or other motor-fluid from beneath the piston, thus permitting thelatter, with the elevator, to descend by gravity; and I further combine with the foregoing instrinnentalities means whereby when the elevator reaches the lower terminus of its course the exhaust is automatically closed.

The nature of my invention and the manner in which the sameis or may be carried into effect will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

The elevator A may have any suitable form of cradle on its top to contain the cash-carrier and to deliver it onto the track B, which is located at the point to which the elevator rises. The elevator is mounted on a rod or stem, 0, which at its lower end is attached to a piston, D, which moves in a vertical cylinder, E, of proper length, and is of course I packed to prevent the fluid from passing between it and the walls of the cylinder. The motor-fluid, whether gas, air, water, or steam, obtained from any suitable or convenient source of supply, enters the lower part of the cylinder through a conduit, F, controlled by a slide valve or gate, a, or any other suitable cock or valve arrangement. The valve a in this instance is operated by a manual key or under its outer or free end, so that as soon as the finger or hand is removed from this end of the key or lever the spring will at once move the latter in the direction requisite to cut oil further supply of the motor-fluid to the cylinder. Spring-controlled valves or cocks of other known forms can be used in lieu of the onejust described. \Vhat is desirable is a spring-controlled admission or supply valve, which, when released from the hand, will antomatically cut off the entrance of the motorfluid.

Under the arrangement thus far described it will be seen that if, when the elevator is in its lowest position, the admission-valve be opened, as indicated by dotted linesin Fig. 1, the fluid entering the cylinder beneath the piston will at once force the latter, together with the elevator, upward to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, bringing the elevator in line with the track and causing the carrier (shown at w in dotted lines) to be delivered therefrom onto the track. It requires only a momentary depression of the key I) to effect this result. The finger is then taken off and the spring 0 at once closes the valve.

To allow the elevator to descend to its original position, means of course must be provided to permit escape of the motor-fluid confined in the cylinder below the piston. To this end any suitable escape valve or cook can be employed, whether operated by hand or otherwise; and if operated by hand it may be springcontrolled and otherwise arranged like the admission-valve, so that by pressing the key of the exhaust-valve the latter will be opened and can be kept so until the elevator has completed its descent. I prefer, however, to provide for the automatic operation of the escape or exhaust valve so that it will automatically open at the time the elevator has comlever, b, pivoted at b, and having a spring, 0,

will at about the time the elevator has completed its descent be again automatically closed. A convenient arrangement for this purpose is shown in the drawings in illustration of my invention.

The exhaust or escape valve G is hung on the exterior of the cylinder zit d, so as to fit tightly over and close the escape-opening e in said cylinder. A rod, f, which I term the shifting-rod, is arranged and held in guides in a bracket, 9, in which it can move up and down. This rod moves in contact with and bears against the outer face of the valve G, so that when in its lowermost position it presses and holds the valve closely over the opening e. The upper end of the rod is provided with a headed pin, h, which works up and down in a vertical slot, g,'in astationary piece, 6, and

serves at once as a guide for the rod, and also as a dog by which the rod can be shifted. The elevator, or stem connected therewith, is provided with two shoulders, j k, so placed with reference to the dog that when the elevator has about completed its ascent the lower shoulder, 9', will meet and lift the dog, thus raising the shifting-rod and releasing the exhaust or escape valve, which will at once open and permit the motor-fluid to blow off or escape from the cylinder. The upper shoulder, 70, on the contrary, when the elevator has about completed its descent, meets and depresses the dog, and thus pushes down the shifting-rod, with the effect of tightly closing and locking the exhaust-valve. The meeting faces of the valve and rod have a cam or equivalent formation, so that while the valve is entirely free when the rod is up it will, when the rod descends, be forced up into place over the escape-0pening. Thus when the elevator has ascended the exhaust-valve is automatically opened, and remains open until the elevator has descended, at which time the valve is automatically closed and locked in place.

Any suitable provision for carrying offan'd disposing of the exhaust fluid can be made, this depending, to some extent, upon the kind of motor-fluid used.

I do not restrict myself to the specific means hereinbefore described for obtaining the automatic action of the exhaust-valve. Various other means for the purpose will readily suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic.

WVhat I claim herein as new and of my own invention is-- 1. The combination, with the carrier-elevator, the elevator-actuating piston, and its contaming-cylinder, of an exhaust or escape valve arranged and operating to automatically open at or near the time the elevator completes its upward movement, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, with the carrier-elevator, the elevator-actuating piston, and its containing-cylinder, of an exhaust or escapevalve, and valve-operating mechanism actuated by the elevator, or some part moving in unison therewith, to open and close said exhaust-valve at the times and in the manner substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination of the carrier-elevator, the elevator-actuating piston, its containingcylinder, the spring controlled admissionvalve, the exhaust-valve, and exhaust-valveoperating mechanism, actuated by the elevator, or some part moving in unison there with, at or near its extremes of movement to open and close said exhaust-valve, the combination being and acting substantially as here-' inbefore set forth. 4

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of July, 1883.

- ABEL T. ATHERTON.

Witnesses:

EDWARD E. RIPLEY, WILLIAM RoBINsoN. 

